One Crest, Two Crest, Old Crest, New Crest?
by Nefertanya dragongurl Ahhotep
Summary: The longawaited sequal to 'Beautiful Stranger'. Takes place roughly 1 day later. Maybe we'll find out why Gomamon killed that female....
1. One Crest, Two Crest

Hey, y'all, here's the sequel to Beautiful Stranger, and it's about damned time!! I thought Sleeping Birdie was never gonna end! But, the curtains down, and it's back to the ol' stomping grounds. For those of u who aren't going to bother reading it, BS involves a new digi-girl-a female gomamon. While not as common as males, yes, they do exist. More unusual(!) is the fact she can't speak, has magenta pink hair, and blue eyes.   
  
She's managed to charm over most of the gang, but Goma's still holding out. It's not helping much that Joe seems be particularly enthralled with her. He even calls her 'Beautiful'.   
  
Anyhoo, turns out she's actually a prisoner of a baddie named Heymon(don't ask), who's been trying to duplicate the DDD's digivolving success by pumping her full of Dark Energies. Long story short, she transforms to Genki Kawaii and attacks the teens, stopped only when Ikkakumon destroys her body.   
  
I don't know about you, but I don't think that's good for the image....   
  
A.S.D.A, except for Genki Kawaii, Heymon, and the soon-to-be-named female Gomamon, which are my creations!   
  
  
One Crest, Two Crest, Old Crest, New Crest?   
by Nefertanya dragongurl Ahhotep   
  
  
~You're everywhere I go   
And everybody knows   
  
I paid for you with tears   
And swallowed all my pride~   
~Madonna, Beautiful Stranger   
  
  
The thin crescent moon meandered the night sky with only a handful of stars for company. The combined light wasn't much stronger than your average nightlight, but it was enough for one creature to see by.   
  
Cautiously, the creature crept down to a little stream for a quick drink, pausing his actions every few seconds to frantically look around, seemingly in fear of its very life. Pale green eyes flickered over the larger creatures that slept soundly through Night Duty before dashing back to the safety of the larger but scuzzier pond a few yards away.   
  
You'd never would've guessed it was a digi-destined. You'd never would've guessed it was Gomamon.   
  
"Ow! Gomamon! that was my stomach!" an irritable voiced hissed.   
  
"I'm sorry, Joe! I'll-I'll just be heading over here now...." the little water digimon apologized meekly and slunk into the slimy waters, situating himself on the farthest bank as Joe gave him a withering look.   
  
Gomamon. The usually chipper, upbeat, reliable trickster had become Enemy #1. And though he knew how it had happened, he couldn't understand *why* it happened.   
  
***Angewomon spoke. "What Mimi means is that we are willing to overlook your past behavior, as we see now that it wasn't really your doing." The other digimon nodded in complete agreement.   
  
Genki's eyes watered. "I-I....." Without warning, her eyes became as hard as jade. "NO! LIARS!!"   
  
"LIGHT STAFF POWER CHARGE!!"   
  
"HARPOON TORPEDO!"   
  
Before anyone could react, Ikkakumon's attack pierced through the beam, and impaled Genki, but did not explode. Instead, bolts of electricity coursed around her body, forcing her to devolve into the gomamon she was before. She fell to the ground. She lifted her head and stared, before collapsing again.   
  
"Oh my gosh! Hang on Genki!" Tai screamed.   
  
They ran at top speed towards her , but it was too late. They arrived just in time to see her body shimmer and fade into mist. Mimi dropped to her knees and began to bawl. "Oh no! Not again! Why did she have to die! Oh, it's just so not fair!"***   
  
Within moments, Mimi had rounded on him. "How could you do that?! She could have been our friend!"   
  
"I-It wasn't my fault! Well, not *totally*! Something just forced me to do it!"   
  
"Something *made* you attack her? What was it- a voice, a field of energy?' demanded Joe, tear bright behind his glasses.   
  
"No....It was just....a something....."   
  
He couldn't tell them then, and he couldn't tell them now. Because for the life of him, he truly didn't know why he'd done such an awful thing.   
  
"You can't explain 'something'? Well, I think I know-you've been jealous!"   
  
Gomamon had begun to protest, but now shrank in fear against the wild look in the boy's eyes.   
  
"You wanted to be the only gomamon around here, I'll bet! It was fine and dandy when she was a million miles away, but the moment it looked like she was gonna 'hustle in' on your 'turf', you changed!"   
  
Tears trickled down his muzzle at the memory. *He's right. I did change.* he thought miserably on his tiny island. But why? Had he really wanted to be the team's only gomamon? Would it have been so hard to share? Well, maybe, but he wouldn't have killed for it! Would he? Why *did* he do it?!   
  
He recalled the look of gratitude in her eyes....was she the force behind his actions? Had she known he could stop her rampage, and manipulated him into firing his harpoon torpedoes?   
  
Unfortunately, those who knew no longer existed.   
  
8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888   
  
~Haven't we met?   
You're some kind of beautiful stranger   
You could be good for me   
I have a taste for danger.~   
~Madonna, Beautiful Stranger   
  
  
The trip was unnaturally silent the next morning. No one was willing to talk to Gomamon(who was slinking at the very end of the line), and most were still so furious at him they couldn't speak at all.   
  
"Greetings, Digidestined!"   
  
"Huh?"   
  
Sixteen heads lifted and thirty-two eyes grew wide in surprise and joy. About ten feet in front of them, a holographic projection of a *very* welcome digital being stood, smiling warmly.   
  
"Gennai!" Tai breathed and waved them all over.   
  
"I see you've had some activities!" he chuckled.   
  
  
"To say the least! Where you've been, old man?" Matt tossed back.   
  
"Sorry. My monitor's been on the fritz. Here now, though." The Obi-Wan of the Digital World peered around the chattering teens. "Why so glum, Gomamon? That's not like you."   
  
"He should feel bad, considering what *he's* done!" Joe shouted sharply, making the red-head sink lower to the ground.   
  
"Don't be so hard on him. He's helped more than you know." He smiled mysteriously at their baffled expressions. "Check your computer lately?"   
  
In a flash, Izzy was booted up and ready to go. "Hey! There's a new file on here! SYSTEM/UPGRADE/BACKUP:STRONG. What does it do?"   
  
"Run it." Gennai answered cheerfully.   
  
Knowing Gennai would never give him a destructive computer virus, and trusting this to be the true Gennai, or at least a official representation, he did.   
  
Immediately, his monitor glowed so brightly he was nearly blinded, and a melodious hum filled the air around them.   
  
"Turn it to face that rock cliff!" Gennai called above the din.   
  
Squinting from the glare, the computer whiz turned it to where he thought Gennai had gestured. As soon as the face was illuminated, the rock crumbled away to reveal-   
  
"Another crest!" TK cried.   
  
The light brightened, then dimmed away. a tag lay on a mound of rubble. It looked very much like the old ones, except it was a deep blue, and hung from a white cord. The new crest shrank itself and slipped inside the dark display lens.   
  
"Wow, cool!" Tai began to make his way towards the new plaything.   
  
"Wait!" Tai turned back to the Gennai projection with confusion.   
  
"Why?" Kari asked. she, like the others, wanted to see the new crest and meet the new Digidestined pair that would eventually come to claim it.   
  
"The program's not finished yet." Gennai replied with twinkling eyes.   
  
As if the words were its cue, the crest shot out a brilliant, pure white light. The light beam narrowed and intensified. Then it bent over, touching the ground. Where it touched the earth, it broadened and shimmered as a shape formed beneath it. The stared awestruck, even Gomamon, who was far too curious of the outcome of the current events to remember how badly he might be treated by the larger males should they catch him.   
  
Second by second, the light took on form, then substance. The light dimmed away then, and drew back into the crest, leaving behind a snow-white mass that sported a thatch of magenta pink hair...   
  
"I don't believe it!" Gomamon screamed. "It's *her*!!"   
  
  
  
Well, well, well.....   
]:--8) 


	2. Rebooted and Backed-Up

Ok, here's chapter 2. If u recall, in 'Beautiful Stranger', the gang finds a oddly colored female gomamon in a creepy castle. She was being held prisoner by a digimon named Heymon, who was trying to uncover the secrets of digivolving. Forced to digivolve and attack, she proves to be a formidable foe. But before the DD's can convince her against Heymon, she is deleted by Ikkakumon.  
In our last chapter, we find poor Goma is really in the doghouse. Gennai makes an appearance, and a new crest is discovered. But the crest has a surprise in store...   
  
A.S.D.A, except for Genki Kawaii, Heymon, and the soon-to-be-named female Gomamon, which are my creations!  
  
  
One Crest, Two Crest, Old Crest, New Crest?  
by Nefertanya dragongurl Ahhotep  
  
  
~Haven't we met?  
You're some kind of beautiful stranger  
You could be good for me  
I have a taste for danger.~  
~Madonna, Beautiful Stranger  
  
The pink haired creature opened blue-lagoon eyes and stared blearily at the assembled cast of characters. Blinking a few times, they suddenly opened wide in recognition, and she galloped up to Joe to nuzzle his leg.  
  
"Is this for real?" he asked with slight trepidation.  
  
But it really was her. Back from the beyond and in seemingly good health.  
  
"It's real, all right." Gennai nodded, looking pleased.  
  
"But that doesn't make any sense!" Gabumon shouted. 'It's been less than 2 days since she was deleted! No digimon can be reconfigured to rookie level *that* quickly!"  
  
"Maybe she isn't really a digimon." Gennai mused.  
  
The team stared at him, even the little newcomer. Had the old man lost it? What else could she be?  
  
"Allow me to explain." Gennai answered, stroking his bushy mustache. "You see, she's not quite what you think. She is actually a very rare digital being-only the seventh of her kind to pass through this world. The form varies with each birth, and as a general rule, there is only one present in the Digital World at a time."  
  
"You're right, that is a different kind of digimon." Tai replied with a nod. "But what kind of creature is she?"  
  
Gennai stood proudly, arms folded behind his back. "An Upgrade."  
  
"A what?" Palmon asked, looking at Izzy.  
  
"An Upgrade." Gennai repeated. "A digital being that, when it finds the right target, can increase the power and strength of said target. And this-" he gestured to the tag on the rock. "-is her crest. The Crest of Strength."  
  
"Then who is her digidestined?" Kari asked. She was thoroughly perplexed. Wasn't the digidestined supposed to appear *before* the crest?  
  
"You won't know that until she finds her target."  
  
The little female went eagerly but cautiously to the crest. She sniffed it a few times before slipping it over her neck. Proudly she walked back to the others. Then a claw got caught in the cord and she landed on her face.  
  
"Ah, poor thing." Joe chuckled softly as he helped straighten her out. "Here, why don't you let me hold on to it for you?"  
  
She nodded her agreement and he slipped it off her neck and on to his own, where it clacked against the Crest of Reliability.  
  
"Hey, what do we call her? Upgrademon?"  
  
"Actually Joe, her innate name is Upgrade number seven." Gennai snorted in amusement as the little female crinkled her nose in disgust. "But I get the idea she doesn't really care to be called that!"  
  
"We could call her Gomamon." offered Tai. Gomamon's ears perked in alarm. "Uhm...wouldn't that be a bit confusing, seeing as there'd be two of us?"  
  
As he'd feared, fifteen eyes whipped around. *Are you still here?* was clearly etched on each face. The little female, on the other hand, noticed him for the first time. She ran happily up to him and wrapped her flippers around his neck in a tight squeeze of affection.  
  
"Oh, that's right. Gennai, didn't you say Gomamon helped somehow?" TK inquired.  
  
"Yes, he did." The Obi-Wan nodded gravely while the female nuzzled her head against Gomamon's chin, causing him to blush a brilliant scarlet. "By using his Harpoon Torpedo attack, Ikkakumon brought about her deletion. In doing so, he also negated the influence of the black wires and gears inside her that were causing her so much pain and suffering."  
  
"I did that?" the sea lion asked in amazement. The upgrade finally pulled away long enough to nod.  
  
"Yes, you did. Heymon realized the possibility of her deletion, and was careful enough to make a back-up copy, if you will, of her. We could have freed her back-up earlier, but with the original file so corrupted-"  
  
"-The back-up would run the risk of becoming infected or deleted too!" Izzy finished.  
  
"Exactly."  
  
"But...but I didn't *mean* to attack! I didn't even want to! Believe it or not, *something made me do it*!!"  
  
"I'm afraid I can't answer that question at this time. Good luck, children!"  
  
And with that, the hologram faded out, leaving them behind. It was *very* quiet then. Slowly, one by one, they turned to look at Gomamon, who was trying his best to fend off the upgrade's playful attempts to knock him over. They both quickly realized that they were being watched, and Gomamon was quickly on alert, ready to defend himself.  
  
"Goma...we're so sorry." Joe knelt down before him and inclined his head. "Can you ever forgive us for being so cruel?"  
  
The others murmured apologetically. Gomamon stared in disbelief. In the space of two days, he'd been mocked, snubbed, threatened, shoved, and ignored Now they wanted *him* to accept *them* again. Could he forgive them so easily?  
  
"Joe..." he began, voice cracking. His Joe. His pessimistic, over-cautious, brave-when-it-counted Joe. The one who had said the most hurtful things of all....  
  
"If you try pulling a stunt like this on me ever again, I'll get my fish friends to *tickle* you to death!" he whispered hoarsely before leaping into his partner's lap.  
  
"Deal!" Joe laughed between tears as hugged the little sea lion tighter.  
Well, what did u expect? C'mon, lets move on! That girl needs a name! 


	3. The Naming Ceremony

She's back! And she's not your garden variety digimon either! She's Upgrade #7, a rare digital being with the ability to increase the attributes of its predetermined target!  
But who is this target? Who will become the chosen bearer of Strength?  
And *what* are we going to do about that godawful name...?  
  
A.S.D.A, except for Genki Kawaii, Heymon, and the soon-to-be-named female Gomamon, which are my creations!  
  
  
One Crest, Two Crest, Old Crest, New Crest?  
by Nefertanya dragongurl Ahhotep  
  
  
~If I'm smart  
then I'll run away  
But I'm not  
So I guess I'll stay  
Heaven forbid  
I'd take my chance with a beautiful stranger~  
~Madonna, Beautiful Stranger  
  
"Deal!" Joe laughed between tears as hugged the little sea lion tighter.  
  
The little upgrade smiled-she knew neither could stay mad for long. She prayed that her future partner would be half as caring and kind as Joe.  
  
"Do you want to come with us, then?"  
  
She started, and looked up to the wild-haired brunette with the playboy grin. Yes. Yes, she did. She nodded vigorously, eliciting a few chuckles from the older teens.   
  
"I think she just might like that!" Tai grinned. "But how are we going to help her find her partner if she can't talk to us?"  
  
"I'd suggest sign language, but I don't think those flippers would work very well...Perhaps if we modified it a bit..." Izzy pondered as he flipped open his PINEapple.  
  
Gomamons are a very curious sort, and even though only mirroring the form, the upgrade was no exception. So she earnestly tugged at his pant leg, pointing at the device when she caught his attention.  
  
"You want to see this? Is that it?"  
  
He sat down and allowed her to perch on one knee. She mimicked his prior movements, tapping out strings of indecipherable letters and numbers.  
  
"Hmm....perhaps we could communicate by typing!"  
  
"One problem with that." Agumon replied with a slightly guilty tone. "None of us digimon know how to write in your language."  
  
"Or read it very well, either." Gabumon added sheepishly.  
  
"Well, we'll just have to teach you then!" Mimi shouted brightly. "I always wanted to know what it'd be like to be a teacher!"  
  
The digimon all looked warily at each other, but wisely refrained from commenting.  
  
"Save the lessons for later." Tai said, suppressing a giggle. First the poor thing needs a name. I don't know about you guys, but I wouldn't like it if everyone kept calling me 'Hey, you'."  
  
"Well, Gomamon's right. We can't call them both the same thing or everything would get confusing, especially in a battle."  
  
"So what do you suggest, Matt?"  
  
"well, I don't know....How about..." the blonde pondered deeply while the others chimed in.  
  
"How 'bout Sealmon?"  
  
"But she's not a seal. She has ears."  
  
"We could call her Sue."  
  
"What?! That's so stupid!"  
  
"I *like* Sue! It's my aunt's name!"  
  
"Tentomon, you have an aunt?!"  
  
"Well, he *is* an insect..."  
  
"Not ant-aunt! Oy..."  
  
"Selkie."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Selkie." Matt repeated. "They're supposed to be these magical sea-creatures like mermaids, but instead of being half-human, half-fish, they are humans that can turn into seals."  
  
"Oh yeah, I remember a legend about them." Sora piped up. "There was a fisherman who happened upon a beach where the Selkie people left their furs while they slept. He stole the skin of one female, who he was in love with, and hid it so she would stay and marry him. On day she found her missing pelt and left behind her husband and children to rejoin her family."  
  
"Stole her fur to make her stay? What a horrible thing to do, don't you agree?" Gabumon asked Palmon, who had a, ahem, thoughtful look in her eyes.  
  
"Huh? Wha-? Oh, oh yeah, terrible." she nodded gravely, her cheeks turning the same color as the flower on her head.  
  
"So, Beautiful, do you like it?" Joe asked, stroking the little female's magenta mane. Her face screwed up in deep thought. Slowly, a touch hesitantly, she began to nod. "Great. Selkie it is then."  
  
A thought suddenly popped into Gomamon's brain. "Hey guys! We forgot to ask Gennai about that Merlin guy!"  
  
Izzy smacked his head. "D'oh! That's right! . Well, I don't think he's going to project himself back here again anytime soon, so let's start walking."  
  
Hope u like the name! Hey, it's better than her working name(GoGo!) 


	4. Old Crest, New Crest?

So know we know that little female digimon isn't really a digimon at all! AS an upgrade, she is destined to increase the abilities of a mysterious 'target'. She has her own crest, but no partner?  
In all the excitement, the gang has forgotten to ask Gennai about Merlin and Nimue, aka MarquisDemon and Ladymon, the whole reason they were looking for him in the first place!  
So with Selkie at their sides, the teens are off again!  
A.S.D.A, except for Genki Kawaii, Heymon, and Selkie, who are my creations!  
  
  
One Crest, Two Crest, Old Crest, New Crest?  
by Nefertanya dragongurl Ahhotep  
  
  
~You're everywhere I go...  
And everybody knows...  
To know you is to be part of you~  
~Madonna, Beautiful Stranger  
  
  
It's not that he didn't mind Selkie being grateful, but Gomamon was having an awful time trying to ignore her...affections. Just having gotten back on everybody's good side, he didn't want to appear rude and be interpreted again as jealous, but this....! She was acting as if they were lifemates, no difference that *they just met*!!  
  
Not that she wasn't sweet, and pretty darn cute, but he was *far* too young to even think of settling down!  
  
So when she was momentarily distracted, he took the opportunity to clamber up Joe's back.  
  
"Ow! Gomamon!"  
  
"I'm tired of walking!" the sea lion whined. Joe grumbled but didn't push the issue further. Instead, he bent down and picked up Selkie.  
  
"I'll bet you're tired then too, huh Beautiful?" She smiled demurely in response and snuggled into his arms.  
  
Gomamon couldn't help but feel a little threatened. Barely 5 minutes had passed and she was *again* trying to steal away *his* partner! But he had to be subtle about separating them-he didn't want to be the bad guy ever again.  
  
"Joe, do you think you should really be carrying both of us like this?"  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Well, dontcha think it's a little too much weight?" the red-head asked, glaring down at the upgrade. She immediately got the hint. Selkie pushed up against Joe's arms and smacked Gomamon good in the shoulder. He flinched in shock, then smacked her back.  
  
Poor Joe was now stuck between two irked sea lions with *very* sharp claws. *How do I get myself into these messes?* he whined inwardly as Selkie, aiming for Gomamon's head, clipped Joe's ear.  
  
He winced as he felt the blood trickle. This was getting out of hand too quickly. But to get them to strop, he first needed their attention. So he screamed the first words that came to mind.  
  
"DON'T MAKE ME SEPARATE YOU TWO!!"  
  
The others looked at Joe, and some chuckled at the spectacle. A frazzled Joe stood with a slight trickle of blood on his cheek, Selkie sprawled on his chest with one paw outstretched. On top of his head, Gomamon was posed, looking for all the world like a king overseeing his kingdom. His warning had kept his face intact(for the time being), but the water digimon still glared daggers at each other.  
  
"Joe, what's going on?" Tai chuckled  
  
"It's a long story." Joe replied dryly. He quickly bent and put Selkie down. "Off! Off! Off!"  
  
"But Joe, I-"  
  
"OFF!!" Grumbling, the red-head jumped off his perch.  
  
"And *behave*!"  
  
They started off again in their quest to find Gennai. Joe lagged behind, since he had to stop every fifteen minutes to yell at the pair.  
  
So it came as no surprise to anyone but them when Joe collapsed from exhaustion minutes after Tai declared camp. Worriedly, Gomamon nudged his sleeping partner's arm.  
  
"Joe?"  
  
"Leave him alone. He's exhausted from always having to stop you two from fighting!" Gabumon chastised. "You're as bad as Matt and Tai., if not worse."  
  
The wolf-lizard stalked off, and Gomamon smirked dully as he and Palmon bumped into each other, making her blush. Gomamon felt bad-he hadn't realized he was making so much trouble. Judging by Selkie's face, she was feeling the same way.  
  
"Truce?"  
  
She nodded, and they curled up on opposite sides of Joe to sleep.  
  
888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888  
  
"AAHHHH!!"  
  
Gomamon bolted awake, as did everybody else. At first, the water digimon couldn't recognize where he was. Then, he realized why. A new hole had appeared in the middle of camp. Mimi was on the other side, her face so pale it could've passed for his own fur.  
  
"Mimi! Mimi, are you okay?" Tai bolted over to her and gently began to shake her. "Snap out of it, Mimi!"  
  
"Leave her alone Tai!" screeched Matt. "She's obviously in shock, and you're probably making it worse!"  
  
"I was just checking to she if she was all right, Matt! Don't get so bent out of shape!"  
  
"Incoming!!" Agumon cried as another fireball hit directly behind them.  
  
"Ow! Ow, Selkie, what's wrong?!"  
  
The upgrade was in sheer panic as she clawed her way up Joe's side. She knew what was happening. She knew who could do this. But how? The only creature capable was-  
  
"MISS ME, MY SWEET?"  
  
-Dead?  
  
"What?!"  
  
"Uh-uh, no way!"  
  
"How in the world-?"  
  
Impossible as it was, it was true. Heymon, apparently back from the dead and none the worse for wear because of it, stood at the far end of the camping area. Next to him, a giant pipe was being manned by seven Shabtimon. Three were at the lowered end, while the rest stood in pairs on each others shoulders at the other end. By bending their bodies, they could control the angle of the cannon.  
  
"SO YOU THOUGHT YOU COULD JUST LEAVE ALL OF US BEHIND, DID YOU?" He bellowed, even though the double d's were only a bit more than twenty feet away. "WELL, I HAVE A SURPRISE FOR YOU! I TOO KNEW OF YOUR 'BACK-UP FEATURE', AND TOOK IT UPON MYSELF TO CREATE A PIGGY BACK PROGRAM, SHOULD MY LIFE MEET WITH AN....UNEXPECTED END. IT WAS DESIGNED TO RUN WHENEVER YOURS WAS ACTIVATED, COMPLETE WITH MY FORMER MEMORIES, SO THAT WE MAY CONTINUE WITH MY DESIGNS FOR GREATNESS!"  
  
Selkie shook numbly. He had returned from the recycle to use her as a guinea pig once more.  
  
"All right, let's burn down this overbearing excuse for a tree stump!" Tai commanded as soon as his ears nearly stopped ringing.  
  
"TRY IF YOU MUST! FIRE!!"  
  
The debris from the blast missed Selkie by a fraction of an inch. She loosed a silent cry of horror when she glimpsed the still forms of Joe and Gomamon, who hadn't gotten so lucky.  
  
"Joe! Oh no, Joe!" Mimi squealed as she ran over to him.  
  
"Now you've gone and done it! No one hurts my friends and get away with it!" Tai roared.  
  
"That goes double for me!" Matt agreed. After all, no matter how deeply the argument separated the opposites, they always pulled together over a friend in need.  
  
"Agumon- warp-digivolve to...WarGreymon!"  
  
"Gabumon- warp-digivolve to...MetalGarurumon!"  
  
"FIRE!"  
  
The two Megas paired off against the abomination, but barely withstood the cannon blast. Severely weakened, they were quickly supported by their now-Ultimate and Champion friends.   
  
"We need some water!" cried Sora.  
  
"What? Who's having the baby?" Tai yelled back.  
  
"No Tai! The Shabtimon are *mud-based*, remember!"  
  
"You got it, Tai!" the cyborg called, dipping one armored hand into the closest water source-a brackish pool not unlike the one Gomamon had cowered in but days before. When he lifted his arm, all that remained was a few flopping fish.   
  
"Good thing Gomamon's not awake!" he remarked.  
  
"One shot, WarGreymon-make it count!" MetalGarurumon called as Lillymon tried her best to refit broken-off piece of his shoulder plate.  
  
With as much force as he could muster, he chucked the water at the cannon. The Shabtimon slowly began to melt, most of the water having hit the cannon.  
  
"Ice Wolf Claw!"  
  
The missiles hit the water coated cannon and Shabtimon, freezing them so quickly the disintegrated into thousands of itty-bitty pieces.  
  
"NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!"  
  
Heymon was furious-he loved that cannon. Incoherent with rage, he snarled and foamed at the Digidestined, pulling out a small flask from a knothole on his body.   
  
"What's that?" Tai asked warily. Few good things seemed to come from flasks and vials these days.  
  
"I...WILL...DESTROY...YOU!!" he roared before chugging the contents. He immediately doubled over, shrieking in agony as he clawed at his body.  
  
"Was it a poison?" Kari asked in concerned bewilderment.  
  
"No! Look!!" TK answered.  
  
Heymon was still writhing in pain, but now he was transforming. His limbs became steely, his teeth sharper. His eyes became bloodshot and glassy. And worst of all?  
  
His voice got *louder*.  
  
"ZYDECO PEPPER BEAM!!!"  
  
"Hoo-boy." Matt whimpered as the red beam barreled their way.  
  
"POWER DRAIN TIMES TEN!"  
  
Genki Kawaii leapt in front of the beam, absorbing the attack's energies into her light staff. Twirling around, she directed them towards MetalGarurumon.  
  
"Figured Ah owe yuh one!" she called as the extra energy flowed into him.  
  
"Thanks!" the cyber-wolf growled appreciatively, using the boost to soup up his missile attack. The high-powered missiles froze Heymon's feet solid, temporarily paralyzing him. Unfortunately, his upper body was only minimally affected, and he slammed his hand on the humanoid like a fly swatter.  
  
"Harpoon Torpedo!"  
  
Heymon screamed in pain as he grabbed his hand. Ikkakumon's torpedo was stuck tight in his palm. He screamed louder when it detonated, permanently creating a useless stump.  
  
"YOU'LL PAY!"  
  
He broke through his ice shackles and made for the woolly walrus and the Southern belle.  
  
Joe had just woken up, so it took him a few moments to realize what was going on. But he immediately knew what needed to be done.  
  
"Ikkaku...." he weakly sputtered as he struggled to his feet. "...got to....digivolve..." His body gave out and he landed on his face. The others were too busy with Super-Heymon to notice.   
  
"I've...got to..get up... I'm...responsible... I've got to help... Got to...be strong!"  
  
As if on cue, the two crests that still hung around his neck began to glow, pure white light that seemed to engulf them both, it was so bright.  
  
"Ikkakumon-digivolve to..."  
  
"Genki! Upgrade power boost to..."  
  
The two Champions seemed to melt and fuse around each other. Together, they created a new kind of fighter....  
  
"MetalZudomon!"  
  
Standing in front of Joe and the rest was the towering form of Zudomon. But this was a much more powerful-looking version. Like MachineDramon, his entire body was metal. But he wasn't a robot. More like a knight, living flesh encased in a suit of digizoid armor.  
  
"Who *is* that?" Tai shouted.  
  
"I dunno." shrugged WarGreymon. The other Ultimates murmured their agreements.  
  
"How can you guys *not* know?" the wild-haired teen asked incredulously.  
  
"He isn't anywhere in my analyzer. And, come to think of it-neither is Heymon!" Izzy remarked as he tapped the keyboard.  
  
"Man, the old guy really needs to update that thing." Matt chided. "That's the fourth digimon it hasn't found!"  
  
"Fifth, if you count Selkie."  
  
"Whatever."  
  
"YOU THINK THIS WALKING TIN CAN STANDS A CHANCE AGAINST ME?" Super-Heymon bellowed indignantly "ZYDECO PEPPER BEAM!"  
  
MetalZudomon crossed his massive metallic arms taking the beam full force.  
  
"There isn't even a scratch on him!" Sora cried as MetalZudomon lowered them.  
  
"That's my 'mon!" a hoarse voice piped up from behind her.   
  
"Joe! Where've you been, man?" Matt ran over to support his older friend. "You okay?"  
  
"Fine, as long as we win." the blue-haired boy grinned impishly.  
  
Meanwhile, Super-Heymon had also noticed MetalZudomon's apparent invulnerability. Roaring in frustration, he gave the metal 'mon everything he had. Exhausted, he stopped to catch his breath.  
  
"MetalZudomon!"  
  
"THAT...DID IT! YOUR CHAMPION IS DESTROYED!!"  
  
"I am no Champion! I AM A MEGA!" a deep voice shouted in triumph. When the dust dissipated, the sun glint proudly on MetalZudomon's barely dented form. "*Now* it's my turn!"  
  
He lifted his oversize hammer high, then brought it down with an ear-splitting thunder. Super-Heymon squealed as he was thrown off balance.  
  
"Poseidon's Curse!"  
  
The giant hammer glowed, and for a full second, not a sound could be heard for miles. Then came a soft murmur, and the steady drumming of mighty hooves as the glow from the hammer became a mighty bull. As it charged, it's hooves tore up the soil, leaving behind a silt-filled pond.   
  
Super-Heymon screamed in sheer terror as he turned to run, but it was already too late. The mighty bull rammed into and through him, leaving behind so much kindling. It continued on, slowly fading away with each stride till it vanished completely.   
  
"All right!"  
  
"Way to go!"  
  
"Whoo-hoo!"  
  
As the teens cheered, MetalZudomon lifted his hammer and straightened up. The tell-tale glow appeared, and left behind two *very* exhausted gomamon.  
  
  
  
Hang on! We're almost done! One more part to go! 


	5. Owari-The End

Poor Gomi. First he's ostracized, then re-accepted. *Then* he finds out that the mysterious digi-girl behind all this isn't really a digimon, but an Upgrade!  
Now, it might be Selkie's got a crush(or at least no concept of gomamon protocol) and is trying to put a rift between the chosen of Reliability!  
But what's this?! Heymon has returned, piggybacking on Selkie's automatic back-up files, and stronger than before!  
  
Destroyed again by the incredible MetalZudomon, the tens are left to ponder what other mysterious miracles lie before them.  
A.S.D.A  
  
Btw, Devidramon- Genki Kawaii loosely interprets to 'Cute Energy'. Don't ask.  
  
One Crest, Two Crest, Old Crest, New Crest?  
by Nefertanya dragongurl Ahhotep  
  
  
~Was it my imagination, was my head up in the clouds?   
I can't believe you'd build me up, just to tear me down.   
But you left no explanation, and I just can't work it out.   
Why say time was on our side, when time was running out?~  
~Go West, Tell Me  
  
  
It was midmorning the following day, and the team was still sleeping. Joe was the only exception. He was staring into the wind as the two water digimon snored, draped over his legs and lower stomach. Finally, Gomamon stirred, and blinked sleepily at his human.   
  
"Hey."  
  
"Hey yourself, froggy." Joe teased.  
  
"Ha, ha. Very funny."  
  
"I'm sorry." Joe smiled as he scratched behind the red-head's ears. "Y'know, I'm really proud of the way you two defeated that oversized shrub."  
  
Gomamon perked up instantly- he *loved* being the hero. It was a role he didn't get to play too often. "Yea! We totally kicked his butt!"  
  
  
  
The two boys looked quizzically behind Gomamon. Selkie rubbed the sleep from her eyes before realizing they were staring at her. She shifted uncomfortably, an 'what?' expression clearly printed on her face.  
  
Joe pointed a disbelieving finger at her. "Did you..."  
  
"...Just talk?" Gomamon finished.  
  
She shook her head, eyes wide with surprise. They all knew she couldn't talk. What would make them think that?  
  
Unless...  
  
She scrunched up her face and stared at Joe.  
  
  
  
The boys gasped simultaneously.  
  
  
  
"Well, whaddya know!"  
  
"That's great Selkie!"  
  
"Mmph. Keep it down, will you Joe?" Tai growled as he shifted back to sleep.  
  
"What's going on Joe?" asked Kari, gently kicking her sleeping brother's back.  
  
"Selkie can talk now guys!"  
  
*That* got everybody's attention. "Really?!"  
  
"Well, not *talk* talk. More like telepathy."  
  
  
  
Izzy smiled at her. "Prodigious! Now, c'mon, say something."  
  
Selkie's smile faded away into confusion as she looked back to Joe.  
  
"But she just did." Gomamon said quietly.  
  
"She did?"  
  
"You didn't hear her?" Joe questioned back.  
  
"You did?"  
  
"Loud and clear!" replied Gomamon.  
  
"That's weird." Tai piped up. "Why can't we here her when Joe and Gomamon can?"  
  
Izzy began to create a lengthy hypothesis which was mercifully cut short by a cry from Sora.  
  
"Joe! Look at your crest!"  
  
The blue-haired boy reached down and grabbed the object in question. It felt heavier than he last remembered, and he quickly saw why.  
  
"Wh-what happened to them?" gasped Matt. Where two tags had hung from two single cords, one remained on his neck. Larger than the previous, and marbled metal green and blue, it hung from a braided cord of black and white.  
  
"They-they've merged...?" If Matt was confused, Izzy was downright stumped.   
  
"That's impossible! There's no logical reason for them to do that!"  
  
"Unless...I was her target all along." Joe stared at the tinted display lens. His little cross with the four little rays was now surrounded by a perfect circle.  
  
"Strength and Reliability." he whispered quietly to himself. He liked the sound of that.  
  
"Joe's her digidestined? But why? No one else has two digimon." Kari squeaked. She was a little disappointed-she'd been hoping for another girl her age.  
  
Then again, she thought as she eyed a particular figure, she might've ended up competing against her....  
  
"Well, you gotta remember she isn't exactly a digimon, Kari." Joe answered.  
  
"No, she's not."  
  
"Gennai!" Mimi scolded. "You scared us all half to death!"  
  
"My apologies, little lady. I only came to congratulate Joe."  
  
"You knew?"  
  
"Not really. But I had my suspicions."  
  
Joe smiled at the two sealions, who were arguing over who would piggyback on Joe. An odd sight indeed, since only one of them was talking aloud. Just what he needed-a new kind of Matt + Tai.  
  
"Gennai-" Izzy asked urgently, "We're glad we found you! Something's wrong with my analyzer. I couldn't pick up any trace of information about Heymon or MarquisDemon or Ladymon!"  
  
"And why did they end up calling themselves Merlin and Nimue?" Mimi demanded, clutching Palmon's hand tightly at the mention of the handsome count's name.  
  
"I'm afraid I can't answer those questions at this time. Perhaps when you return..."  
  
"Return?! But they just got here!" Gabumon protested.  
  
"Well then I'll give you all a choice-either they can return to their homeworld and return in some future time, or they can stay...and die."  
  
"DIE?!"  
  
Gennai's image nodded somberly. "Do you remember the eclipse that took you home the last time?" they all nodded. "Well, it's the same deal here. If you stay, you will lose your connections on Earth. When that happens, your bodies will dissipate., In short-"  
  
Tai made the traditional death sound and gesture questioningly  
  
"You got it."  
  
"But...my new crest! Selkie! I just found them! I barely had time to properly introduce myself!" Joe wailed.  
  
"I am sorry, but it can't be helped. But cheer up." he beamed proudly. "You are the digi-destined! You are the greatest heroes these two worlds have ever seen! I know you all will find your way back to each other again."  
  
"Great." Tai said bitterly. "Why does it seem like we gotta wish for something bad to happen everytime we want to see our digimon?"  
  
"I'll miss you, Tai." Agumon sadly wrapped his paws around Tai's leg, resting his head on his waist."  
  
"I'll miss you too, buddy."  
  
Mimi and Palmon stared at each other before simultaneously wailing and glomping each other.  
  
"Oh, Mimi, stop that!" Sora sniffed. "You're gonna make *me* cry!" Biyomon flew into her arms, not bothering to hide her tear stained feathers.  
  
Joe turned sadly from his friends to face his clown pair. Neither was willing to look up. He picked up Gomamon.  
  
"I'm so sorry I was mean to you." he whispered softly.  
  
"It's okay." the red-head whispered back, hanging his head to avoid his tears being seen.   
  
"No, it's not. I didn't understand till yesterday. You were afraid I was trying to replace you with Selkie, but Gomi, you can *never* be replaced! You're the best friend I'll ever have. Okay?"  
  
"Oh-kay."  
  
"Good. Now do me one little favor?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Look after Selkie."  
  
The red-head jerked his head back. "Are you kidding?! She hates me!"  
  
"No, she doesn't. What makes you think that?"  
  
"Well...she's always trying to make me mad..." he answered weakly.  
  
"That's because you always let her get to you. Just tell her you don't like it when she does something you don't like." Joe smiled. "She doesn't have anybody else, Gomamon! C'mon, for me?"  
  
"Oh....all right."  
  
"That's my 'mon." he patted the red mohawk one last time before setting the protector of Reliability down. He looked around and saw Strength pouting a few yards off.  
  
"Hey, Beautiful." he cooed as he sat down besides her.   
  
the mental voice chided.   
  
"I know. But I'll be back. Something's *always* going wrong here!"  
  
He grinned, and she found herself grinning back. She butted his knee, and he obliged by stroking her pink mane.  
  
"Will you do me a favor?"  
  
  
  
"Look after Gomi?"  
  
she looked down uncomfortably.   
  
This intrigued Joe. "What makes you think that?"  
  
  
  
"He just likes to be difficult." He stroked one of her long, fine ears. "When I leave, he won't have anybody else. I need to know he'll have somebody looking after him, keeping him out of trouble. Do this for me? Please?"  
  
  
  
"Atta girl."  
  
Joe stood and walked back to Gennai's image, the two digimon unnaturally silent at his heels. Sora was busy trying to cheer up Mimi while brushing her own tears away. Palmon was still weeping, Biyomon patting her back and cooing softly. All the digimon appeared to be in the same emotional state, Joe noticed.  
  
...Except Gabumon appeared different. While he was just as upset as everyone else, he was staring forlornly at *Palmon*, not Matt.  
  
'Well, well,' he thought as he made the connection. 'Today's just full of surprises.' He looked down to the water digimon. Ears drooping, eyes downcast, and huddled rather close to each other, they looked more like a couple of abandoned newborn puppies than a pair of teenish digimon who had recently saved the day.  
  
He couldn't hold it back anymore. Tears slid past his glasses as he waved with a stiff smile.  
  
"Goodbye, digi-destined." Gennai saluted them. "May the day you return come on swift wings.  
  
Gennai folded his arms behind his back, and a brilliant flash appeared, blinding the digimon. When the spots disappeared...  
  
"They're gone!" Palmon moaned.  
  
  
And just like that, they were. 


End file.
